Manchester United are reportedly leading the race ahead of Chelsea to sign Ipswich Town star Liam Delap, as per transfer expert Mike Brown.
After joining The Tractor Boys from Manchester City last summer, the 22-year-old has displayed glimpses of his qualities in the Premier League this season, scoring 12 goals and registering two assists.
Still, he couldn’t manage to help his side survive relegation. Mathematically, Ipswich aren’t relegated yet, but West Ham United will have to earn one more point from the last five games to send Kieran McKenna’s side back to the Championship.
Now, on Football Insider, Brown says that Delap has attracted the attention of several big Premier League clubs, with Man Utd, Chelsea, and Newcastle United among those to have registered their interest.
However, the Blues and the Magpies have better options than the Englishman at their disposal, and it would be difficult for him to get regular playing time there. So, the forward might not want to join either club.
Instead, he would be open to moving to Old Trafford as Man Utd don’t have a quality centre-forward, and he will be able to play regularly. Therefore, the Red Devils are ahead of Chelsea and Newcastle in this race.
Delap to Man Utd
Brown said:
“Delap is on a lot of clubs’ lists. I’m not so sure he’ll be convinced by the move to Chelsea. There’s been a lot of talk about him at Man United, and if you’re Delap you can look at that United team and feel confident you can make your mark there.
“The options they’ve got at the moment are not good enough, so Amorim can promise him he will get regular minutes as their starting striker. I don’t think he can do the same at Chelsea, Newcastle or any of the other top sides.
“They’ve signed a lot of players who can’t get in the team or haven’t played enough – Delap doesn’t want to become another one of those. He needs to go somewhere he’s going to play, and he knows he’s going to play at United.”
Delap reportedly has a £30m release clause if Ipswich endure relegation.
Chelsea currently have Nicolas Jackson as the first-choice centre-forward option, and other than him, they don’t have proper depth. Christopher Nkunku has featured in this area but isn’t a natural striker. So, perhaps, Enzo Maresca wants to strengthen this position.
On the other hand, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee haven’t been able to showcase their goal-scoring prowess in the Premier League. Therefore, Amorim wants to hire a new No.9 at Man Utd.
Delap is a talented young player and could be a shrewd acquisition for Man Utd or Chelsea with a view to the long-term future, should either club purchase him.
